a place for honest product reviews and useful how-tos, from a real down-to-earth American family.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Flexsteel Latitudes Crosstown Furniture Review

Buying our first living room set was exciting and daunting. After we got over the initial shock of the prices of 'cheap' furniture, we were even more set on buying 'the one' set that will last us for a long while.

We packed up and drove into the city to go to large furniture stores. Our two-year-old began to think we were "going to look at couches" every time we went into the car.

I looked at every option of buying used furniture locally, but nothing was worth the hauling ourselves part.

At one very, very large furniture store we found something we liked. My husband likes couches you can be enveloped and sink into; while I do not like being swallowed whole by a furniture monster.

We sat on the Flexsteel Latitude Grandview Leather Reclining Sofa Couch. It was almost right for me, but not quite, and the price was more than we wanted to pay. However, we had an inkling we found our brand.
Brands are so subjective to who you talk to. You can walk in and be told something is the best or the worst.
I was skeptical since I had already done some homework. My understanding from the internet (which did not have much information) that the Flexsteel Latitudes Collection is a lower priced collection that is partly made overseas. The leather is a leather/vinyl, which means that the places that you won't be touching (back, sides) are vinyl to cut down the cost for the consumer. After much research, I decided that unless you were in the market for a 3-5,000 dollar sofa, this was a good choice. I found only one negative review, same person posting in a few places, but after some research I found out that this person had left their leather couch in direct sunlight. Which had worn a spot in the leather.

Over the next few weeks we hit up more furniture stores. We found one we liked even better than the Grandview. The Grandview leaned back too far for me. I like to sit up when I'm not reclining. We decided on the Crosstown Group reclining sofa and glider/recliner chair.

We returned home without purchasing, as the store was closing, and I decided to check smaller Flexsteel dealers around the area. After pricing out the second store, we found they were much cheaper, as they were a small store without a display. We had to wait a few weeks, but it was worth saving $340.
FYI, the Flexsteel Leather Reclining Sofa Couches we looked at were all in the range of $1100-$1400.

They are beautiful to look at, with the brass tacking and dark, rich, soft leather; and the most comfortable thing I have ever been upon! The glider/recliner is really large. Perfect for cuddling with my toddler and rocking future babies. The smell of the leather was a bit strong for the first few days, but it subsided after that. We have had the set for just over a week now and we love it so much. Time will tell how well it holds up. I will post updates in the future.

Hi John,My husband and I were watching tv tonight and he commented again on how he just loves the furniture. No complaints at all! I also love how easy it is to clean. The backing has velcro on it, so it's easy to retrieve small lost toys from my toddler. It's held up great around our two dogs, although we don't let them put a paw on it! Best purchase ever. It still looks brand new. Good luck!

I am trying to find any wear to mention on the furniture. I cannot find any! We still love, love it. The cushion is still supportive, not saggy like some get. I still make sure no direct sunlight gets on the leather, which helps it to stay looking new. I spent a lot of time on the furniture during 16 straight weeks of morning (all day) sickness and was so happy we have it.

I liked your review. We just bought ours at Furniture Factory Outlet.I was just trying to determine which model it is, since it isn't on the label.It is made in China, and is supposed to be leather.It is one of the Latitudes collection, comprised of 7 interlocking pieces:Two end recliner/gliders, one middle glider/recliner without armrest, the corner seat, one middle stationary seat, and two small storage modules with backrests but which aren't comfortable to sit on at all... may be why it was apparently discontinued.Anyway, we are happy with ours so far, but they recline so far, we have to move them out much farther into the center of the room than we did the previous reclining sectional, so we have very little living room left!By the way, if I were your husband I would be offended by your remark that this sofa was the most comfortable thing you've ever sat on ;0}

Also, yes they are extremely comfortable, with buttery soft leather as mentioned, where you sit but not on the back or sides.They have plenty of support for the lower back, so I no longer have to put a pillow behind me!It is big enough for me as a 6 foot 1, 190 pound man, and yet doesn't swallow up my girl friend because of the supportive cusions.It will let you rock and reclines quite far, to about 15 degrees, just almost horizontal.However, when sitting up, you can sit up about as straight as you want to.We spent $3000 on ours and I was just looking online mostly to see if indeed it was leather because it doesn't have a very powerful smell, unlike yours, otherwise we would take it back, but after reading on the Flexsteel site, I learned that they coat it with a protective finish, which could seal in the leather and thus the smell as well.Thanks again for your review!

I had purchased a Southern Motion power reclining sofa and 2 power recliners in leather. After only 3 months I was already beginning to see indentations on the arms. Not bad, but I'm very picky. The store where I purchased allowed me to so a re-select. I just purchased Flexsteel Latitudes Westport. It was on sale but I still paid $4300 for the same configuration. I'm so worried that they will be problems because I've read such negative reviews. The individual specifications on the Westport sheet say under warranty that it has a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, cushions, and spring system. It is supposed to have the blue steel springs. I read that if your Flexsteel has a dust cover and you can't see the springs then it probably has a cheaper version. Do you know anything about this? I liked the Crosstown also but it would have been over $4500 and I think that's a LOT of money. Anyway, how is yours holding up after 2 years?

That seems really steep! We paid about $2100 for our couch and chair total. They have a little sagging on the backrests, but it's very minor. I make an effort to sit in the middle seat as often as possible to offset those things.

I have just noticed in the last month that there is a spot on the arm that is a little lighter color where people grab it when they put the footrest back in, not a big deal. On the top in the back the stitching in one corner has gotten a little farther apart. Not sure if I just didn't notice it before or it has happened over the last while. Everything is very minor and if I were someone else coming in, I might think they were still new. We aren't hard on furniture at all though and I make sure there isn't ever any direct sunlight on them. We still are very happy with our purchase!

Did you buy your Flexsteel online or from a furniture store? When you say there is a little sagging on the backrests what do you mean? Not the seats but the back part? I don't understand how that could be saggy? Do you mean the padding is not as full?

We're not hard on furniture either. It's only my husband and me. I have living room furniture that I've had for 13 years and it still looks new. I didn't pay $4300 for it either. We did order power and that is more expensive. If I had paid $2100 and there was a bit of wear, I could deal with that, but to pay over $4,000 and have problems is not acceptable.

I guess it's not as full on the backs. There are some things I notice and wonder if they were always that way, since they don't seem to get worse. Some of the discoloration on the arm rests were from my husband using an optical mouse on them, before I noticed and stopped that. I did forget to mention that the head rest of the recliner has some discoloration on the wrinkles. I will find the time today (hopefully) to post a follow up with pictures as they are today. I haven't ever bought new furniture, so I'm not sure what to expect. I do know that there were furniture sets for $800 plus tax that I see trashed a year later on Craigslist. We saw ours at a furniture store and called around to the local stores that didn't carry inventory and ordered through one of them. Ours was $2100 out the door, with the protection coating they put on it and delivery. I'll post another reply on here when I get my follow up posted!

I did call and get a quote on Flexsteel's domestic line and it would have cost $5097 not including tax and that was for a leather/vinyl match. They have good warranties on the frame, spring system, and cushions but only 1 yr on the leather. That's pretty much standard for all manufacturers.

I did cancel the Flexsteel order though. I didn't want to pay $4300+ for leather/vinyl out of China. If I could have gotten it for $2,000 or so maybe I could have lived with it but $4300 is a LOT of money not to be sure the leather is going to wear well. Oh well...the search goes on. I've researched just about every mid-level furniture company and they all have negative reviews. Unless you can spend upwards of $6-8,000 I guess you take your chances.

Florida. I've purchased a lot of furniture over the years and I take very good care of my things. I just can't believe you have to pay thousands for furniture that may not last 5 years. That ole saying, "things aren't what they used to be" is so true. America imports almost everything and if you want American made you made out the nose for it!

We purchased Flex Steel Latitudes Crosstown love seat recliner & glider chair recliner and are very disappointed with our purchase after only a year. The leather in the seat cushions on all pieces has started to discolor where the leather forms a crease. We purchased an extended warranty and neither Flex Steel nor the ext. warranty co. wanted to do anything about it. Thankfully the owner of the store where we purchased it is trying to help resolve this & in talks with the manufacturer. The area where the cushions are sewn together is also wearing. We are not hard on furniture; in our 60's, no kids no pets. Our last Lazy boy set made of material lasted 17 years & still looked good enough that when we moved that we were able to sell it. I am wishing I had kept my old Lazy boy now. Negative reviews online made us question buying the new Lazy boy furniture. This Flex Steel set was not cheap. We have a leather office chair that is 8 years old & gets more wear & everyday use & it is still in great condition, so we expected this love seat couch & chair material to last at least as well. I do not know what the outcome will be and we live on a fixed income, but I really would not recommend this set to anyone. The store we purchased it from is being very helpful & I am hoping they will get Flex Steel to do something to resolve this issue. Thankful to the store we purchased it from for trying to make things right, and hoping something can be done. Given this experience, I would not recommend purchasing this set to anyone.

I'm so torn on purchasing the crosstown sectional. I have read several negative reviews! I'm also looking at the downtown sectional which is made from a microfiber, that looks like leather. Did you post a recent review on this?

I haven't gotten around to posting a new review, but if you read the comments and my replies, you can get a good idea of what they are like after two years. Minor wear and still look great, but we are very easy on furniture. Our children don't jump on them and no pets allowed. :)

Like I told another person in a comment, we got both the chair and couch, with the protection finish/tax/delivery for about 2100. Some other people can't find this for less than 4-5k. In that price range you might have better options, but for us, it was the best quality for the price range. Good luck!

We just purchased a Flexsteel Crosstown Group 1210-62P Power Reclining Sofa and a matching Flexsteel Crosstown Group 1210-62P Power Reclining Console Loveseat, they won't be delivered for about a month. Do you know where they are made? And do you know of any complaints about this Flexsteel line?

I can't recall for sure where they are made, but I would guess China. :) Probably the reason they are cheaper than other lines. As far as complaints, you can read the other comments and my replies on this review. They and what I stated in my review are the only complaints I've seen. Best of luck!

Don't but Flexsteel!!! We just purchased power sofa, loveseat and recliner and two days after delivery the motion component is broken. The fit and finish is awful with an inch plus space between the seating and center console on one side of the loveseat and none on the other. Look at complaints on the http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/furniture/msg0114545123999.html site and BEWARE . . . .

Thank you for your opinion. We have owned this set now for over 2 years and are happy with it. We love the look and comfort, it's used daily by our family of 4. I don't expect this set to last forever, as it was 2,000 for both the double reclining sofa and the recliner/rocker. You get what you pay for and this is a cheaper line of models. I only have very minor complaints so far, but they don't show and haven't compromised the function of our furniture so far.

We still haven't had any problems with the frame, just the stitching on some of the seams on the corners on the top of the back. They aren't noticeable now, so I'm going to try to fix them myself and see how it goes, since that's not under warranty. If it wasn't for the stitch thing, I'd be completely happy with them still! They still look and work great.

I do not have the sofa, I have RV seats made by Flexsteel. DO NOT BUY! They are two years old, peeling and flaking and looks like crap! I've emailed Flexsteel 3 times, no reply. Called after I got the # from THOR Motor Coach and was rudely told they do not deal with the public. My dinette is now starting to crack and peel as well. The dinette has NO way of getting any sunlight to it so that is not the problem. They are not backing their products. Look elsewhere for furniture of any kind!

Be wary of any salesman that says there ie a Lifetime guarantee [it is a warranty, there is no such thing on this furniture like we were told! "JUST BRING IT OVER AND WE WILL FIX IT" said the salesman. Then we were told by another owner it would cost to have someone replace recliner mechanism and frame and cushion if the store guy couldn't do it -ie the cushioncushionIt will cost you for labor at an upholstery shop unless in 1 year Warranty and shipping costs.http://www.flexsteel.com/home-furniture/warrantyScroll down to bottom"[In the Event of Defects Report any defects promptly to your dealer with proof of purchase. If needed repair is covered under warranty, your Flexsteel dealer will make arrangements. Covered repairs will be completed within a reasonable amount of time. If product is more than one (1) year old, the original purchaser is responsible for cost incurred in shipping and labor for repair."]

We have the Flexsteel Crosstown reclining sofa and I HATE IT!! My old couch from big lots was better. Within a few month of getting it, the 2 outer seats had worn out so bad that we could feel the bars in our lower back. The upper part behind your head sticks out so far that it pushes your head forward and causes neck pain. We first had to deal with the local place we got it from and after months of trying they had some furniture repair guy come and literally stuff it full of stuff he said was from Flexsteel. Well he stuffed the couch so full of crap it was all puffed up and uneven and looked like awful. So we got them to come back and remove some it. Needless to say the couch was beyond ruined by this point. Finally after 6 months we got ahold of Flexsteel and they gave us a brand new couch. Well guess what? 6 months later and the couch is worn out again and I can feel the bar in my back. So yeah we are selling it on Craigslist and getting a sectional from Havertys for only a bit more than the price we paid for this sorry couch. The point of my story here is : DO NOT BUY FLEXSTEEL. :) Seriously.

I'm sorry your experience wasn't good. It's been almost two years and mine is still as comfy as when we first bought it. I have now used it through two pregnancies where I get really sick and loved it. The only complaint I have, still, is that there is some wear on the seams. It still looks great and works great!

We just bought the flex steel crosstown 3 piece from a very reputable furniture dealer in Houston. When we sat on the displays in the store that most likely get sat, jumped on and kicked 100's of times a day, they still felt and looked great. I was very impressed by the set and hope I made a great purchase. It was about 4,000 for the 3 piece and the store has they're own warranty for furniture and leather defects that we bought extra. I read a lot of reviews after the purchase and can only imagine that they're must be a knockoff brand that is being sold by "bargain" furniture stores.

We've had our set 3 years now and I've had two babies since that time, so it's gotten a lot of use. It still looks great and my only complaint still is that some of the corner seams on the top backs are ripping away from the stitching. It's not noticeable from the front, but it's still a concern. I am careful not to have any direct sunlight on the leather.

The leather is just as soft and supple as ever. I should have been conditioning it more often than I have, but it still looks nice. So no, I don't believe that is the cause. I think they are just stress points that get the most wear and tear, on the upper back cushions. I believe it might have done it on it's own eventually, but we do have three young children that probably helped it along. :)

Like you said in your blog, we found a small store with better price, then big store price. we have been looking and Found Flexsteel Latitudes , bought 1311-62P Power Reclining Sofa, and a 1311-604P power Love Seat w/console, and feel it is the best that we found from many others.

We just returned from looking at furniture from a local retailer. The salesperson said the Flexsteel Latitudes collection was their number one seller. The synthetic polyester leather-like sofa was approximately $1600. I told her that we were looking for a sofa to go in a room with a lot of windows and she assured us that it was fade-proof. Other furniture had "made in the USA" tags, but this collection did not which may be why it was lower priced. After reading other reviewer comments, I don't think we will be purchasing the sofa.